Railway-signal.



R. H. TODD.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22. 1914.

1 ,1 60,01 3. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

2 SHEET$SHEET I. 1.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPN co., WASHINGTON, D4 c4 R H. TODD.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR-22.1914.

1,1 60,01 3, Patented N 0V. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON. u. c

. anion.

ROBERT H. TODD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed April 22, 1914. Serial No. 333,755.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1', ROBERT H. TODD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented block.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device by means of which the engineer of the second train will be notified of the fact that the first train has notyet left the block, thus providing a device for auto matically keepingthe engineers informed of the presence of trains in the same block.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective device which may be secured to a locomotive of the ord1- nary type without changing the construction thereof in any way.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device which may be easily and quickly connected to the track by means of which the signals may be carried for suitable distances. I

WVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe novel combination and arrangement of parts which will be fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a locomotive showing this improved device as it would appear when applied thereto, Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view of the invention, Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the invention showing the details in construction, Fig. 45 is a diagrammatic view showing the several circuits when in operation, Fig. 5 is a detail view of a modified form of intermittent contact wheel, Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailview of the wheel mounting for the constant contact wheel, and Fig. 7 is a side view of Fig. 6. 1

Referring nowrto the drawings by characters of reference, the numeral 1 designates as an entirety .a locomotive of the ordinary type to which the attachment designated generally by the numeral 2, is secured. The usual track, designated by the numeral 3, is

provided and comprises the ordinary rails A and ties 5. The attachment above referred to, preferably comprises the tubular member 4 having secured thereto, the fastening plate 5 which is arranged to receive the screws 6 by means-of which the device is to be secured to the locomotive. A suitable plunger 7 is slidable in the sleeve 4 and is provided at its lower extremity with a pair, of longitudinally extending arms 8 and 9 having apertures formed in their lower extremities which are arranged to receive the pin 10 to hold the intermittent contact wheel rotatably between the arms. A suitable pair of insulating blocks 11 and '12 are securedrto opposite sides of the sleeve 4 and are adapted to hold the contact springs 13 and 14 respectively.

A suitable constant contact member designated generally by the numeral 15 is securedto the locomotive in any suitable manner and comprises the L-shaped bar 16 carrying at its lower extremity the bifurcated blockl'? which -.is arranged to receive the constant contact wheel 18, which will be fully described hereinafter. This contact wheel 18 preferably comprises a cylinder of copper or similar conducting material which is provided with the trunnions 19 which are journaled. in the arms of the bifurcated portion as clearly shown in Fig. 6. A band of rubber or similar material 20 is secured near each end of the cylinder and is arranged to prevent a short circuit at intersections where another road crosses.

The intermittent contact wheel which is carried by the attachment designated gen erally by the numeral 2, comprises the disk 21 of fiber or similar insulating material having one portion of its periphery cut away as at 22 and provided with the re I cesses 23. A suitable aperture 2A is formed centrally of the disk 21 and is arranged to receive the pin '10 by means of which the device is held in place. A suitable strip of copper or similar material 25 is arranged to seat in the recess formed by the cutaway portion 22 and be secured therein by means of screws or rivets passing through the apertures 26 formed therein and into the recesses 23 formed in the bottom wall of the cut-away portion 22.

In the modified form of the, intermittent contact wheel illustrated-in Fig. 5 the body portion is formed of the metal disk 27 which is cut away as at 28 and provided with the recesses 29 in which the screw or rivets for securing the fiber strip 30 is arranged to be secured.

In Fig. 2 the wire which complete the circuit is supported upon the nails 32 and is de gna ed by henume Lhe nails 32 are driven into the ties and provided with heads 33 which are bentlupward'ly and into engagement with the wire to hold the same .firmlyin place,

In Fig 4; is illustrated diagrammatically the several circuits of the device, and it will be apparent that the contact spring 13 is connected-by means of the wire to the. battery 35, the opposite terminal of which has'connected thereto. the wire 36 which is goi'lllechfid to the binding post. 3.7 a of the A Wire .39 is connected to the binding post 1 3? and the opposite terminal thereof is in electrical contact with the contact wheel 18. The binding post. 40 ofthe bell is connected by means of the wire 41 to the contact spring 14 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. Assum:

ing that a train is in a block and the plate 25 of the intermittent contact wheel is contact: ing with the rail and with the spring 13, it will be'apparent that the current will flow from the battery into the wire 36. and thence, through the binding post 3:? into the Wire 39 from whence-it will pass into. the constant contact wheel 18 and he passed into the line wire 31. Should another train be in the block and the plate25. of the intermit= tent contact wheel be in such position as-to contact with the spring 1% and the rail 4:, it Will be seen that the current willbe picked up by the wheel 18,'passed through the wire 39 into the binding post 37 ofthe bell on: the second mentioned train from whence it will passthrough the binding post 40 into the Wire 41 and thence back through the plate 25 and rail tto the plate 25 ofthe first men? tioned train from whence it will pass through the contact springlix and'wire 34 hacl; to the battery. It will thusbe seen that thebell on the second mentioned train willbe rung. In event that theiwheels re-.

verse position so that the plate 25. on thesecond mentioned train engages thespring 13 and the plate 25 on the first mentioned train engages the spring 14, it will be apparent j that the bell on the first mentioned train will be rung, thus notifying the engineers of each train of the presence of another in the block. It is to be understood that the Wires 3-1 are separated into blocks which may be of suitable length so that as soon as a train passes out of a block another train may pass thereinto. without causing the signal to be given. V 1 p r v It will be evident from the foregoing that the invention constructed "as illustrated above will effectively notify all trains of-the fact that other trains are in the block and many of the accidents due to the engineers not seeing the signal or for any reason, he will be notified, since the bell within hlS cab Willring and thus accidents may be averted.

1. Ina device of the characterdesor b d, a

contacting element a ,GQnta t Wh l carriedwheel being arranged to automatically and.

alternately cut in and cut, out a circu Springs connected to the cont cting Wheel, a second contact wheel for continuou'scontaetr with a Wire, batteries, one of t e cont ctin springs on the first contact element being connected with the batteries, the opposite terminal of-the batteriesbeing connected to the other contact element, a hell carriedw the in the-cab of the locoinotire, means connect:

ing the hell with theoppo te contact sp in on the first mentioned contact element, and means-connecting the hell with the oppos te contact. element whereby when current i sent. through the wire and the ra l, the co tact wheel carried by the first commi 6: l

ment will alternatelyreceive current-through the; bell- 2. In a device of the character descr bed, the combination with a contact. element co prising a sleeve carriedby a locomotive, a plunger slidable in the sleeve, the lower end of the plungerheing bifurcated, a wheel rotatably mounted in the bifurcated end of the plunger, a spring to normally force the plunger down and hold thewheel in contact with a railroad rail, insulating blocks 0M- ried? by-thesleeve, contact springs. carried by the insulating blocks, saidnspringsbeing illsulated' from each other and adapted to engage opposite Sides of the contact wheel, a contact plate carried by the contact. wheel and adaptedto form a connection between and cut ou the the rail and one of they springs at onetime,

and the rail and the opposite spring at; the other time, of a wire carried adjacent the railroad rail and connectingwith the second contact element, batteries in circuit wi h one of the contact springsand the second contact ried by the sleeve, thev l'ovver-v end ofrthe plunger being bifurcated, a Wheel rotatably mounted in the bifurcated portion of the plunger, contact springs carried on the insulating blocks and adapted to engage the periphery of the wheel, said wheel being composed of a contact'plate and a non-conducting plate, a second contact element, a Wire carried by the track, a wheel carried by the second contact element, a local power source carried by the locomotive, a signal carried by the locomotive, means connecting one pole of the power source to one of the contact springs, means connecting the opposite pole of the power source to the wheel carried by the second contact element, means connecting the remaining contact spring to the signal and means connecting the opposite pole of the signal to the contact element. In testimony whereof I afllx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT H. TODD. Witnesses:

JOHN J. JEFFRIEs, CI-IARLEs FILE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

